In Terminal 1, this sandwich and salad bar is the “I’m done with fried stuff” option.
This generic sandwich and salad bar sits airside in Terminal 1 and basically covers the “something vaguely healthy” niche at Mactan Cebu. Expect pre‑made or quickly assembled sandwiches and simple salads you can carry straight to your gate, which helps when boarding for a 22:40 red‑eye and you don’t want another heavy rice meal. It’s squarely in the $$ bracket for the airport, so think sit‑down prices for counter food.
Menu is basic: chicken sandwiches, tuna, maybe ham/cheese, plus lettuce‑heavy salads with a few toppings. One TripAdvisor reviewer mentioned a chicken sandwich that was “fine and not too heavy,” which is about the right bar to set. Portions lean medium, not US‑huge, so plan on one sandwich plus a snack if you’ve got a 3–4 hour connection. Everything comes in plastic clamshells or paper wrap for easy gate dining.
Pricing sits on the “airport tax” side: expect roughly $6–$9 equivalent per sandwich and $5–$7 for salads at current peso rates. Multiple reviews call out that you’re paying café prices for very basic bread-and-filling builds. If you’re watching spend, skip the bottled juices here and grab water from a nearby convenience kiosk; that alone can shave 100–150 PHP off the bill.
Watch out for sandwiches that have been sitting a while; several travelers mention slightly dry bread when they grabbed something late in the day, after 19:00. Best move is to ask which items were prepped most recently or choose ones that look heavier on greens and sauces so the dryness is less noticeable. If you’re picky about texture, salads are usually the safer play than the bread.
Regulars on Cebu work trips often buy a sandwich here, then walk a couple of minutes to Bo’s Coffee or CBTL in T1 to pair it with a proper latte and sit at those cafés’ tables. Copy that move: grab the food at the bar, the drink elsewhere, and eat near your actual gate so you can board the minute your flight number pops on the screen.